Method of testing the feltability of hatters&#39; fur



17, 1943. .1. D. SARTAKOFF 2,326,974

METHOD OF TESTING THE FELTABILITY 0F HATTERS' FUR File d'Jun 28, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Jack D. Sorta koff ATTORNEY.

Aug; 17, 1943. J. D; SARTAKOFF METHOD OF TESTING THE FELTABILITY OF HATTERS FUR Filed Jun 28, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jack D. Sartakoff ATTORNEY.

Aug. 17, 1943. J. D. sAR'rAKoFF 2,326,974

- METHOD OF TESTING THE FELTABILITY OF HATTERS FUR Filed June 28, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet a 'IINVENTOR. Jack D. Sartakoff BY WM ATTORNEY.

FUR

" Aug. 17, 1943." J. D. SARTAKOFF METHOD OFTESTING THE FELTABILITY OF HATTERS Filed June 28, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented'Aug. 17, 1943" q 1 UNITED PATENT OF METHOD or TESTING THE FELTABILITY or HATTERS'FUR Jack D. Sartakofi, Douglaston, Long Island, N. Y., assignor to No-Me'roury Felt Corporation, a

corporation of New York Application Julie 28, 1939, SerialNo. 281,692

I 1 Claim. (01. 73 51) This invention relates to the testingoffurto determine its feltability and usefulness for the manufacture ,of hats. Under presentpractice,

it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine from, I

quantity of carroted fur as a sample and, to

run this sample through testing operations, em-

ploying the usual hat making machines and steps,

to make upfour or six hat bodies. Iftwoounce hats are to be made six samples will usually be run, whereas if four ounce hats are to be produced four sample hat bodies will be made. The performance of the fur in making these sam. ples will indicate its usefulnessand properties for the production of hats of a particular grade and weight.

Although this practice is universally followed,

it isopen to numerous disadvantages. In the first place fur is expensive and j an appreciable amountof fur is required to makeup the sample hat bodies referred to. If these hat bodies do not fulfill the requirements, they ;,constitute a loss and it maybe necessary to. duplicate the sample tests one or more times orderto obtaina satisfactorymixtureor blend and;to.ob-.

tain "proper performance .in every. particular. Furthermore, these tests have invariably; been run on standard hat making machines including blowers,. bat forming machinery, wettingiapparatus, hardeningmachinesj and felting 'ma-.

be subjected to an economical preliminary test which'would definitely determine its characteristics and usefulness for the purposes stated. M y

primary object was to eliminate theexpensive testing which has been practised in the industry from time immemorial and to substitute therefor an inexpensive methodand apparatus which could be used exclusively for this purpose and which might be handled by a single operator who did not necessarily possess a high degree of skill. Ifelt that if this object couldbe ac: complished, the regular hat making machinery would be released for regular production and the expense attendantupon tests as heretofore made would be in a great measure eliminated.

My work in this connection has demonstrated thatthis object may ;be accomplished through the testing of relatively small quantities of fur in the making of a-relatively smallflat felt, the behavior of which, during the several operations through which it is passed, maybe more-accurately observed and measured than can possibly'be accomplished with a cone form. I have found this tube particularly true because it is possible to form; a flat felt of uniform thickness throughoutwhereas a conical felt will invariably run thicker at the base of the cone than at the apex thereof, Infact, there is a pronounced difference inthe thickness of the apex. of .aconeformed felt thanthere is at its base, so that the felting of a cone is, not as uniform as the feltin in a flat felt, Thus, in making a flat felt, it is possible to get a true and accurate gauge of the felting properties of the fur and an accurate determination of its shrinkage, loss ofweightand speed of felting, which cannotbe so accurately chines. The usual practice is to employ the cone which has a surfaceof approximately 1,000

square inches,"so that, if the test run. is not satisfactory, there is a waste of between 5 pounds.

and 10 pounds of fur, the marketzvalue of which over a protracted period to discover some satisfactory method. by which a sample of fur could Thus, in carryingout the method of the present invention, I take arcarefully weighed sample of the carroted cut fur to be tested which sample maysatisfactorily be .in a quantity as small as, 10 to 20 grams and I pass this sample through mixing and blowing operations to thoroughly mix and flufi the fur. The fur is thereuponcarried,*by a moving current of air, against a rotating screen having a plane surface, to form on said screen a circular bat of a diameter which may conveniently be or 200 square inches. After the flat bat has been formed, it is removed from thescreen, placed under pressure and wet. This wet, flat bat is thereupon'passedlthro-ugh a plurality of felting rounds, followed by a plurality of shrinking rounds. It is then permitted to dry and constitutes a sample of the finished felt appropriate to the particular steps through which it passed. Measurements of the diameter of the bat and felt, after it has passed through each step or round, are carefully tabulated.

Different mixtures of fur are subjected to identical procedure, so that, at the completion of a series of tests of this character, ther is obtained concrete information in the form of data appropriate to each test. moreover by one finished felt sample for each particular fur mixture. The finished felt samples may be compared with oh alrltl ier and, from the information thus at hand, it'is possible to accurately determine which sample of fur is the best for the contemplated commercial run; This having been determined, the operators of conventional hat making machinery may be given definite instructions as 't o'- the particular mixture used, the quantity or his; the number of rounds, etc.-, to be employed; in short,- the technique to be practisedfor the making of a particular commercial run or hats, and when these hats are produced they will be found to correspond to the sample after which they were pat terned; l v V I have tested very numerous samples of for, such as are commonly uses for the making of hats and from the voluminous data which I have thus obtained, it has been possible to accurately classify different furs as to their feltability; e.- a, extra fast, fast, over normal, n'orir ial;" subnormal, slow, extra slow, etc. These designations of fur classification refer to the behavior of th furs in conventional hat making machines; From this data and through the use of the method and apparatus of thisiiivention, it

has been possible to prepare a table or graph showing a definite relationship between esteem lar furs. 1 data which is fitaihd. thitillgh the-testing or any particular fur rni-ktur'e, it is possimeto see by a glance at this graph; to What cias'sineation the fur under test belongs and now many rounds, bats formed on cones of different sizes-,iiiust be subjected to in cbii'vehtionalhat inakih'g chines in order to give a satisfactory prams-a1 product.

The present invention has thus made it ble to standardise the classification or tors and in this respect it is unique, for never before has there been known to this art any such standartli zatlon or classification;

The apparatus by which the method of this invention is preferably carried out provides for the performance 'ofall of the steps of the method within a single test unit 'Of relatively small "di mensions, in contradistincti'on to a large num: ber of conventional production machines which have heretofore'b'c'en necessary for the testing of fur. Moreover, a single operator can readily handle the test machine and; as the tests proceed, note down data which is u'sful'at the conclusion of the tests for the determination of the technique of quantity pro uction.

The apparatus, as will be hereinafter more fully explained, is simple construction, 'e'eonomical to msnufaetor thoroughly rename f in the'performanc of its functions.

Features of the invention, other than these adverted to, will life apparent from the herein after detailed specification darn, when iad in conjunction with accompany ng diawln'g's.

This data is eiimplifid.

From this e-isssineauen sea from the.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one form of apparatus for carrying out the method of thi invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrativa'only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure l is a vertical section taken lon itudinally through a machine embodying the present invention, the parts being" shown in position to carry out the blowing operation.

Figure 2 is a like section showing the parts arranged to carry out a bat forming operation.

Figure v3 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Figufe 4 shows a chart used as hereinafter described.

That portion of the apparatus for preliminaiily treating the fur is so constituted that it is adapted to take fur from a clipping operation, properly fiiix seen fur, blow the same, and there after feed the fur to a bat forming. operation from which the felt is subsequently made. This portion of the apparatus is indicated at the lei-t of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. It. comprises an upright housing as shown iii Fig. '1, provided about midway of the height of itsfrontw'all with a fur feeding hopper 2 embodying anilnclin'ed table 3 down which fur is fed by gravity to a p'air'ofi-olls 4. These rolls feed the fur toa picker roll 5 rotating in a clockwise direction and driven through a belt 6 from a motor 1. This roll 5 separates the fur and throws itint'o the interior of the housing I,

The picker roll is provided with pins arransed in aiplurallty of rows extending in helical paths. Preferably the pins of each my are staggered or laterally -offset with respect to the pins of the other rowsgso that only one pin occupies any one radial planeincluding the axis ofthe roll. Thus said pins are progressively and successively brought into cooperative relation, one at a time, with the fur fed from the feed rolls 4. In this way the load on the driving mechanismfor the picker roll i'sLun-lformly distributed throughout each complete rotation of the picker roll, Consequentl'y I am able to operate this roll with but a small fraction of the power heretofore requlre'd to operate the conventional picker rolls of the priorart wherein the-pins are arranged in rows having straight line relation parallel to the axis or the mil or I V Y Positionedadjacent the picker noll dis aslat= te'd dispersing roll as against which the fur is t-hnow'nby the picker roll and whicliserves to out! theiur, and thbreughlycseparaix thciilbeis thereof. Roi-Ho is driven like the roll 5 from the mdwrfl. r. V

Extending transversely across the housing are two upright partitions!) and!) placed one'above the'oth'er. I Partition 8 extends from the bottom of the housing up to the level of thelt'o'p' of the hopper, while the partition 9 is superimposed thereon and-extends upwardly vtdinear meter; of the housing; being provided at its top with h'o'oks l0 'detachably engaging an'gle section's H secured to the opposite lateral walls of the hous 1113'. The partitions 8' and! are thus removable and may be conveniently made'bf aluminum or some other lightlmaterial so that they may be conveniently handled.

In the portionof the housing is an inclined paitition I! having thei eiii an o ening 13 covered by a screen 11 andtne space above this screen connects, throughanbpenihig Hfwith a flue 18 formed between the back Wall or the heirsin'g and-an upright partition 11. 'I'namttem of the flue li'opefisinto achamner matth'e rear end of which is the inlet IQ of a suction pump. 20. "Atthe mouth of the inlet 19 a coaxial pulley 2| is mounted to rotate and :is driven "by a belt 22 from a pulley23 connected, through a reducing gear box 24, with the motor :1.

The pulley 2| is of annular form and is pro-. vided therein with a seat 25 adapted to detachably receive the annular metal frame 26 of the bat former, and acros this annular frame is stretched a screen 2'! on which the batto be felted is adapted to be formed. 1

The space between the partitions 9 and IT has a floor 28'which'may be fixed or removable as desired, and extending: longitudinally beneath this floor are guides 29 whichaline with guides 30 forwardly of the partition 9 and these guides 29 and 3f! are adapted to collectively support a horizontal partition 3| which, when in the posi-, tion of Fig. 2, will block off the entire upper portion of the casing. The front wall of the casing, above the feed hopper 2, is normally closed by a vertically slidable door 32v preferably glazed, so that the interior of the hopper may be observed. This door may be. raised when tie-- sired to adjust the partitions 8; 9 and 3| (Fig. 2) but under all normal conditions said d0or'32 is closed. The suction pump 20, preferably a centrifugal pump, is driven by a motor 33 and serves to create a suction interiorly of the housing I.,

.Theparts are shown in Fig.- 1 withthe ma chine conditioned to carry out mixing and blowing operations in the housing I, To this end the partitions 8; and 9 are in place. Clipped, mixed fur is fed to the picker roll 5 and is thrown into the machine inv separated, condition, into a current of. air which is flowing through a front opening 34. This current of air passes upwardly through the chamber 35 between the partition ,9

and the door 32, passes over the top of thepartition 9 and through the screen l4, thence it passes through. opening l5, downwardly. through the flue it to the chamber l8 and thence through the screen 21 to the pump inlet 19. The pump- 20 discharges into, a foraminous containerp36 through the walls of which the air returns to the atmosphere, while particlesof matter enthe bottom of the chamber 31 and are received in areceptacle 38.

This operation of separating and mixing the fury and collecting the same upon the screen I4 top of the chamber l8.

fur may be taken out and re-run'if desired, but this is usually not necessary.

.There are times inthe operation of the apparatus, and particularly when the humidity inthe atmosphere is very low; that the fur becomes so'fluify that it is difficult to handle and in some cases it may tend toadhere to the sides of the apparatus. In such cases I have found it desirable to humidify the air passing into the apparatus. This maybe conveniently accomplished by extending across the front opening 34 a steam pipe 39, covered by a suitable guard 40 and perforated so as todischarge live steam 4i into the current of air as it enters into the apparatus for the purpose of imparting thereto sufficient moisture to overcome "the disadvantages'to' which I have referred.

At the conclusion of the blowing operation, the door 321's opened and the operator reaches in and removes the partition 8 and 9, takes the blownfur from partition 28 and inserts the partition'iil and again-closes the door, so that the parts will be as shown in Fig. 2. The partition 3| closes off the "entire upper portion of the housing .I and extends across and seals the bottom of the'flue l5. g 1

The motors 1, 33 'are riow started again to operate the pickerro-ll 5 and place a suction in the inlet is back or the screen 2?. A carefully weighed quantity, say 10 grams, of the blown fur produced in the previously described blowing steps or steps is. new fed to the hopper 2 and passes therefroni'to the picker roll and dispersing roll 5a where it is-thoroughly broken up or separatedand in thus separated condition it entrained in the current ofair passing through the front openinglfi l and carried to the screen 21 on which it comes to rest Meanwhile the screen is slowly rotated by the belt and pulley connection described, so. that the furbecomes uniform-v ly matted in the form, of a loose bat upon 'sai-d -This is an important operation because this loose bat should be of uniform thickness throughout and the screen employed, as well as the speed of rotation of the screen, should be such as to insure its uniformity. If too much suction ispre'sent, it maybe decreased by opening, .to a greater or lesser extent, a sliding panel 42 in .the In practice this panel preferably carries a pointer or other indicator working over a stationary scale on the exterior of the wall of the chamber [8, so'that after the may be referred to as a blowing operation. The Y material collected in the container..38 maybe re-introduced into the hop-per and, by its passage through cooperation with the picker. andv dis.- persing rolls 5 and 5a, someof the parts of this fur which have adhered togetherand thus matted may be brokenup and added to the fur at the screen Id. The heavier particles will again fall into the container 38, from which they are removed and discarded. I p

.The fur which forms on the screen 14 will remain there until the suction of the fanv 20 is broken. However, when the fan is stopped, the

fur will immediately fall. from the screen I4 on to the partition 28 and the blowing and mixing. step of the process is then complete for this fur isrin a nicely divided state and constitutes a,

' The afterend of the machine carries thernoch I anisrn whichv supports the suction fan 26 and its motor 63, as Well as a pairoi cooperating felting drums-stand their driving mechanism. The drums M extend transversely of the machine and have slatted peripheries. They rotate in the same direction and eaehis provided at one end with a pulley 45. A belt extends around both pulleys and about aspeed reducing pulley 35, driven from a larger speed reducing pulley 41 which is, in turn, driven by a belt 48 from a motor 59. 1 v, v

It will be noted that there are three distinct sources of powerembcdied in-this single machine. The motor 1 serves to drive the picker and dispersing rolls 5 and 5a and to rotate the bat former 26".; The second serves to operatethe flufiylmassb Thisthoroughly mixed and blown I pump and the third furnishes power to the rum's M. Consequently,these several'partsmay be operated wholly independent of one another, so that a number of diflercnt fur samples can be manipulated at thesame time in dlfierent parts of the machine. For example, the blowing operation may be carried out on one sample, while a felting operation is proceeding on another sample, and the motor 20" may be functioning for a blowing operation, while thereis no screen in place at the mouth of the suction chamber IQ.

for a moment in hot water containedin a receptacle 51st one'side or the table 43, and

' thereupon the. hot wet roll is deposited above The use of separate sources or power, therefore,

has a distinct advantage in making the machine more flexible, as well as in simplifying mechanical connections and making them selectively operable.

The bat former, consistingof the screen 21 and the metal annulus 25 in which it ismounted, is removable from the pulley 2| which forms their holder. uniform thickness throughout and when it is produced'upon this former, it tends to adhere thereto when the suction from the pump 20 is relieved. Thus, when the formation of the bat is complete, the sliding panel 62 is opened and the operator reaches into the chamber l8 and removes the bat former withthe bat thereon. He lifts this assembly to the back end of the machine and lays it upon a table 43 with the bat up. i

A fiat perforated disk of metal is then placed 3 on the top of the bat and pressed down tightly, preferably manually, while hot water at about 140-l60 F. is poured on said disk, passes through the perforations and permeates the bat.

As soon as the bat is thoroughly wet, the perforated disk is removed and the holder is then inverted on a table 50, shown at the side of the machine in Fig. 3, to discharge the wet bat on to said table. lhe bat holder is dried and returned to the machine to receive the next hat. The bat just removed is measured to determine its diameter which, for the purpose of concrete example, may be 11.2 which resulted from the use of a bat forming screen of 100 square inches. A series of concentric circles 5| are shown as delineated 0n the face of the table 50 and said bat is preferably laid on this portion of the table and smoothed out, so that it will be substantially circular when it is measured. There are sometimes slight irregularities which may be stretched to render the bat round, so that the measurement may be fairly accurate. If the bat is slightly out of round, the average diameter should be noted as constituting the measurement of. the bat at the conclusion of the forming stage".

The bat is marked for identification, as by taking 'a stitch with colored. thread at one point in its circumference and it is then laid aside be tween two layers of textile fabric. and is allowed to rest on the table 50' while subsequent samples of other mixtures of fur are passed through the machine to any appropriate number, usually six, and as the various forming operations are completed on the successive samples, they are consecutively marked and stacked on top 01 the first sample, with interposed Wet cloths, until all of them are completed and form a stack ready for the first felting operation. The dimension of each formed bat is taken, as: in the case of the first sample and data with reference thereto iscarefully noted. The cloths used are marked at their margins with indications positioned at 45 intervals to facilitate subsequent'manipulation.

The six samples, stacked as stated, are now collectively rolled in said wet cloths, immersed The bar; formed thereon is a fiat hat of the. bight or the drums 44. These drums are driven at a. predetermined rate of speed in the same direction and serve to cause the roll of samples to be tumbled or rolled over. and over asthe successive. slats engage the roll of samples. Water dripping or falling from the samples is caught by a trough 53 which leads it to a pail 54 below the table 43.

It is important that the operation of the drums M upon the test samples be accurately determined and for this reason the shaft 55 of one or said drums is connected to a counter 56 carrying a drum 5'! (see Fig. 3), the periphery of which contains numerals signifying rotations or periods 0t operation otxthe drums M and a pointer 58 cooperates with the drum 51 to facilitate the accurate reading thereof.

This first mechanical operation of the drums 44 upon the samples constitutes the first hardening step of the first felting round and may conveniently be carriedon for about minute,

. as shown by the counter. At the end of this step,

the roll of samples is removed from the drums M, is unrolled, laid out to rest flat on the table and thereupon restacked in different order between the same cloths. The stack is thereupon rolled up again but in relation to the first rolling. After this re-rolling the roll'is dipped into hot water and again returned to the felting drums, where the operation before described is repeated. These operations are repeated four times in all with re-st'acking and re-rolling between each operation, so that at the conclusion of these four hardening steps, 1. e., at the conclusion or what may be termed the first felting round, the samples have been rolled in four distinct directions 45 to one another in order that these fourhardening steps act to produce a felting in'four distinct directions. At the end of these operations, i. e., at the end of the first round. of the felting, the samples are laid on a table and are unstacked and each sample is carefully'measured to determine its diameter. We will assume, for the purpose of present exampic, that sample I has now a diameter of 10.4 at the end of the first round. Several samples have, in themanner described, been subjected to four distinct hardening steps which collectively constitute the first felting round. In ordinary commercial practice, these hardening operations are carried out in a purely manual manner and some of the most highly skilled workmen are employed in this Work for it requires'a high degree of skill and experience to harden felt bats. Irrespective, however, of the degree of skill which the workman may possess, it is utterly impossible to obtain uniformity in the hardening operations manually. According'to this invention, however, subjection of the several disks to the hardening stepsis carried out in a,- purely mechanical manner on the felting drums 44 and by changing the sequenceof the disks in the stack between each hardening step all of them are subjected to an absolutely uniform treatment. Thus, the present invention provides for uniformity and gives accurate dependable data, whereas if these steps were carried out manually any such degree of accuracy would be utterly impossible.

The mechanical hardening to which I have referred made possible by using separator clothsbetween the several disks; so that they are precluded from felting to one another and these separator-cloths are used for all four hardening-steps "or the first felting round, By thus separating the feltsand changing their sequence in the stacking, the uniformity referred to is made possible witha stack ofbats in contradistinction to individual manual manipulation.

The operations which have been described with reference to the first felting round are now repeated for the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds with a bottom cloth but no'intermediate separator cloths are neces 'sary. At the end of each round the diameters of the samples are each individually measured and noted, andlet us assume that sampleI measures 9.1 at the end of the second round, 8.0' at the end of the third, 7.3"at the end of the fourth, 7" at the end of the fifth and 6.8" at the endof'the sixth and 6,7" [at the end of the seventh round. In practice I mechanically felt on the drums 44 one-quarterminutefor'each of the first and second rounds, "one-half minute for the third round, and one minute for each subsequent round. This completes the seven mechanical felting rounds of'my method.

The samples are now individually subjected duplication or such felt. The mannerof'using the chart is as'follows: *I, add together the dimensions obtained during-the bat forming step and theseven felt ing' rounds. This, in the example given for sample I consistsin the sum of 11.2, 10.4, 9.1, 80,733, 7.0, 648, and 6.7 making a'total of 53.3.

I then add' together the dimensions obtained in the five shrinkage rounds for sample I, namely, the sum of 6.0, 5.9, 5.6,"5.3, and 5.2, making a total of 27.0. Then I add together the two totals to make a grand total of 82.3 and by -reference to the vertical column of numbers at the left. hand side of the chart, I am able to pick out a transverse line which, where it intersects with the curve of the graph appropriateto the particular cone to be used in' the commercial machine, will showthe number'of rounds towhich the fur must be subjected in theforming'machine, as well as the time'required in theA and B machines of commercial manufacture, to

duplicate the felt of sample I.

' f The particular-examplewhich we havebeen to manual sizing operations which are carconsidering will require fourroundsin the form-- ing. machine for a. #80 cone, six minutes in the Amachine, and 23 minutes inthe B machine. Thus bygiving the workmenthese specifications, thefur'of which sample Isis typical, can be passed through i commercial operations without further experimentation or danger of -error or mistake, .and;.a good product will. be assured.

. The particular information given with re- 'gard to coneandxi'ounds has been prescribed a diameter of 6.0". This completes the first f round 'of the shrinking operations, rounds are successively carried out on each sample and suppose, that sample I showeda diameter of 5.9" at the end of the second round, 5.6" at the end of the third round, 5.3" at the endof the fourth round and 5.2 'at the end of the fifth round.

" If it is desired, these'shrinkage rounds may be continued to determine'maximum shrinkage, although this is not necessary. way of example, when the operations on sample I were continued, itlwas found that for two additional rounds the diameter was only decreased approximately -.3" after which it stayed ,constant and showed no more shrinkage for succeeding rounds.

Thus maximum shrinkage wasdetermin'ed, although, in practice, these latter rounds are not essential to obtain sufficient accuracy for production operations.

The sizing operations have been described as carried out manually although in practice I'may accomplish them mechanically in either a Tay- Five such However, by

lor or Boesch machine, both of which are well known to the art.

Having obtained and noted the'data referred "to foreach particular sample, it" is possible to analyze the finished felts to determine their;

bodyQweight, 'texture,'etc., and to decide therefrom which fur produced the desired felt. "Having selectedthe fur to be produced, the data relative thereto is observed, and by virtue, of the chart or; graph shown in Figure 4, which I have developed through the testing of a great number of furs, one is able to readily determine the operations that shouldbe carried out on commercial hat making machinery for the with regard to the chart to which reference has. been made and 'areoffered by way of example toifillustrate how the information and data gained from, the tests-in the method of andmachine of this invention can be used and incorporated in the practical form. It Willxbe understood, however, thatgthe details of practical use of the present inventionxwilL-in' a measure, depend upon the particular type of hat making machinery to be employed in commercial production and that the curves used will be appropriate to such conditicnsas will S a be present in commercial production. In other words, the chart to which reference has been made is not presumed to be. an inflexible index for universal application but the principles therein exemplified may be readily adapted in each factory to the particular relations between testing and production departments.

By the method and apparatus which I have described, I am therefore'able to classify fur in an accurate manner and this is something which has never been done before. Fro-m this classiflcation, it is possibleto properly indicatethe treatment to which fur should be subjected to produce a predetermined product and this. re

sult 'isaccomplished through a simple, inexpensive procedure, carried out in'a small com- 1 pact unittherein all operations can be; immediately observed and their-effects noted for guidance in commercial operations. This classification of characteristics of hatte'rs fur is I something entirely new in this art.. It fulfills I a long felt want and eliminates time and waste.

of material incident to methods which have been practised for upwardly of hat making business.

An important feature of this invention resides in thefo'rmation of fiat felts thrcugh the initial production of afiat bat and the subsequent feltm and shrinkage of such a bat, with measurements periodically taken as the various steps a century in the progress, to determine the progressive behavior of the fur and to serve asa guide for commercial when a fiat form is employed and uniform felts produced in this way give the true characteristics of the fur and enable the operator to draw accurate conclusions on which quantity production may be safely and confidently'based.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that when the method and apparatus of this invention is used one operator cantest a great number of samples during a working day using a total amount of fur in these samples which is negligible, as compared "to the relatively few samples which may be tested on production equipment using a total amount of fur greatly in excess of that employed according to this invention. a

Testing and standardizing materialsin technology, generally, :means subjecting .a prescribed quantity of material to a seriesaof prescribed and controllable treatmentsiin the course of which successive measurements are made. Thereoords thereby obtained furnish the basis on which invention for with a flat diskether'e results uniformity of distribution, permits easy accurate measurements and the mechanically'controlledtreatment during felting. achieves identity in the handling of thespecimens. Thus, the behavior of different iurs in the course of treatment, the total shrinkage achieved and the general appearance and feeling of the resulting felt samples give a true index of the furs to produce particular results which may be commercially desired. The successive dimensional changes of the felt during the successive testing steps form a basis for computing the shrinkage curve which supplies at a glance a picture of the behavior of the fur specimen in the process of gradual preparation and this is of greatestimportance to technicians in this art for it shows at once the felting characteristic of the fur;

The foregoing-detailed description sets forth the invention in illustrative practical forms, but the invention is who understood as fully cornmensurate with the appended claim.

Having thus iully described the invention, what 'Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Let- .ters Patent isz' In the art of testing the feltability of batters fur, the method which comprises iormine f om difierent samples of fur a succession of fluffy flat substantially circular for bats of single thickness and, of approximately thesame weight and dimension andwhichdimension' is a small fraction of'the area of a hat cone, wetting said bats to. form a like number of flat disks of single thickness, stacking said disks in superimposed relatiom thereafter subjecting allicf the disks, collectively. in stacked re1ation1to a plurality of hardening rounds so that each of said disks receive substantially identical treatment, and thereafter subjecting the: disks, individually, to a: plurality of substantially identical siz-' ing :rounds, so that all of said disks receive substantiallyidentical sizing. treatment, to produce a. plurality oftfiatl felt samples peculiar'to the particular samples of furs employed in the-forma- .tion of the respective bats.

IJACK D. SARTAKOFF. 

